Apparatus for transferring rod-like articles

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for transferring rod-like articles such as cigarettes comprising a series of hoppers ( 2, 4, 6 ) which deliver rows of cigarettes to fluted planetary wheels ( 8, 10, 12 ) which are mounted on a rotating carrier and driven around a central drum ( 20 ), by gearing between the planet wheels and the drum. The drum is provided with pockets ( 22, 24 ) etc each of which is three rows deep so as to accommodate the output from three of the planet wheels. In this way the cigarettes are grouped into bundles for subsequent packaging.

This invention relates to transferring rod-like articles, particularlytransferring rows of cigarettes for subsequent packing in a cigarettepacking machine.

In order to achieve higher speeds in cigarette packing machines it isdesirable that as many parts of the machine as possible should operatecontinuously rather than intermittently. In particular it is desirablethat the conveyor in which the groups of cigarettes are assembled intobundles for subsequent wrapping should run continuously. The presentinvention is particularly but not exclusively concerned with transferapparatus suitable for feeding cigarettes to such a conveyor,particularly from a hopper or other region in which the cigarettes aresubstantially stationary.

According to one aspect of the invention apparatus for transferringrod-like articles includes means for supplying articles to a pluralityof adjacent delivery positions arranged in a row, rotary conveyor meansincluding means for receiving articles from said positions, the rotaryconveyor means comprising a plurality of planetary wheels each havingreceiving means defining individual article positions; an annularcarrier for translating said wheels along a path extending adjacent saidrow so that said receiving means receives articles from said positions;and a sun wheel having means defining grouped article positions each ofwhich is adapted to receive articles in successive layers from saidplanetary wheels.

Preferably, the adjacent delivery positions are defined by a series ofvanes defining rows in the outlet of a hopper, and each planetary wheelis provided with at least one set of flutes defining the individualarticle positions, the number of flutes in the or each set correspondingto the number of rows in the outlet of the hopper.

Preferably, the sun wheel is in the form of a drum, having pocketsdefining the grouped article positions, and the planets are mounted in acarrier and are geared to the outside of the sun wheel and to a fixedring gear, so that rotation of the drum causes the planets to rotate ontheir own axes, and also drives the planet carrier round the drum. Thegearing is such that the or each set of flutes on each planet coincidesin position with a set of outlet vanes on the hopper when the articlesare to be received, and also co-operates with the pockets on the drum,when they are to be delivered.

Preferably, each pocket on the drum is sufficiently deep to accommodatea plurality of layers of articles, each layer corresponding to one setof flutes on the planets, and the arrangement is such that each pocketreceives a row of articles from one of the planet wheels, which is laiddown into the pocket as the planet wheel passes it.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is at least one set ofthree hopper delivery positions, and the pockets are three layers deep,the position and gearing of the planet wheels being such that successivelayers of articles are transferred into each pocket, by the planetwheels, as they pass by each hopper delivery position.

Some embodiments of the invention will now be described by way ofexample, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a first type of hopper, planet and drumarrangement;

FIG. 2 is a cross-section through a hopper planet and drum pocket of themachine shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view corresponding to the view of FIG. 1, for analternative construction having two drums;

FIG. 4 is a similar schematic view, but showing an arrangement havingtwo sets of three hoppers;

FIG. 5 is a cross-section through a differential drive system for theplanet wheels;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a drum assembly of the same general kindas shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is an axial view of a part of the mechanism of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a cross-section taken along the lines Z—Z of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a partial perspective view showing the planet wheels of a drumassembly having 18 planet wheels;

FIG. 10 is a partial elevational view of the machine of FIG. 9, showingthe transfer sequence in more detail; and

FIG. 11 is a cross-section through the hopper, planet assembly and drumpocket of the machine of FIGS. 9 and 10.

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the invention, in which cigarettesare fed from three hoppers, 2, 4 and 6, each of which has internal vanesdefining a row of seven adjacent outlet positions. Each row ofcigarettes is received by a row of flutes on a planetary wheel 8, 10, 12etc, the planetary wheels being mounted on a rotating carrier and drivenaround a central drum 20, by gearing which connects the planet wheels tothe drum. The drum is provided with pockets 22, 24 etc, each of which isthree rows deep, so as to accommodate the output from three of theplanet wheels.

Describing the operation of this embodiment in more detail, it will beseen from a consideration of the position of planet wheels 8 and 10 inthe drawing, that the planet wheel 10 has just passed the hopper 2, andhas received a row of cigarettes from it, which are then held in flutes28 on its surface by suction, until it rotates to a position in which itis above the leading edge of pocket 22. At this stage, the suction oneach of the flutes is successively cut off, so that the cigarette willbe deposited into the pocket 22 in a row which will fall (or preferablybe guided, as described below) into the bottom of the pocket. A suitablearrangement for controlling the suction is shown in more detail in WO9521771.

Subsequently, as the drum continues to rotate, the pocket 22 will arriveat a position beneath a further planet wheel, in the position indicatedat 16, which has previously collected a row of cigarettes from hopper 4,and this will result in a second row being transferred into the pocket,as indicated at 24. Similarly, the third row of cigarettes, taken fromthe hopper 6, will have been added to the pocket to completely fill it,by the time it reaches position 26.

In this arrangement there are six pockets in the drum, and 14 flutedplanets equi-spaced around it. The planets are geared to the outside ofthe drum and to a fixed ring gear, and suitable gearing is used toensure that the flutes on each planet always match the rows defined bythe hopper vane, and deliver the cigarettes to the pockets on the drumin suitable positions.

It will be appreciated that any number of pockets on the drum can becatered for, by use of a suitable number of planets and gear ratios.

The drawing also illustrates the use of guides 30, mounted on thecarrier between the planet wheels, which are suitably shaped to guidethe cigarettes from the hopper output onto the flutes of the planetarywheels, as for example, indicated at 32, and also to guide thecigarettes from the flutes of the planet wheel, into each pocket, asindicated at 34 on the drawing.

Referring to FIG. 2, each planet wheel 8, 10 etc is mounted by means ofa shaft 36 in the planet carrier 38, and a gear 40 on the other end ofthe shaft engages with a ring gear 42 on one side, and a sun gear 44 onthe other side. A vacuum pipe 46 in the shaft 36 communicates with theflutes 48 of the planet wheel, so that cigarettes can be taken from thehopper 50, and supplied to the pocket 52 on the drum.

Subsequently, a plunger 54 transfers the bundle formed in the pocket 52,into a collating box 56 for transfer onto a pocketed belt, chain or drumso that it can be transported to the next stage of the operation.

FIG. 3 shows an arrangement in which there are two drums 58 and 60, eachof which is fed by a set of three hopper outputs 62, 64, 66, and 68, 70,72. This arrangement reduces the risk of starvation in the hopper vanes,by allowing the speed of cigarettes in each hopper vane to be reduced by50%. In this arrangement, the first drum 58 lays up cigarettes inpockets A on the drum, and the bundles are then transferred axially intoa belt system 74 which also passes around the second drum 60, wherealternate pockets B are filled, and the belt then transfers thecompletely filled sets of pockets onto the next stage of the process atthe regions 76, before returning to the drum 58. It will be appreciatedthat the belt system 74 could also be replaced by a pocketed chain, forexample.

Another possible arrangement for reducing the speed of cigarettes in thevanes of the hopper is illustrated in FIG. 4, in which there is a singledrum 78, having two sets of hoppers A, B, C and X, Y, Z. Each planetwheel 80, 82, 84 etc has two sets of flutes in its periphery, one ofwhich is geared to meet with hoppers A, B, & C, whilst the other isgeared to meet with hoppers X, Y, Z. With suitable gearing, this enableshoppers A and X to supply cigarettes for the first layer in each pocket,hopper B and Y to supply cigarettes for the second layer, and hoppers Cand Z to supply cigarettes for the third layer in the pocket, as will beclear from the drawing. The arrangement is such that each set of fluteson each planet wheel delivers to alternate pockets on the drum, and inthe combination shown there are 16 pockets on the drum and 18equi-spaced planet wheels.

As an alternative it will be appreciated that if there were three setsof hopper outlets and each planet had three sets of flutes then each ofthe three layers to be received in a pocket could be identified uniquelywith a flute set, i.e. there could be three sets of flutes on eachplanet respectively with 7, 6 and 7 cigarette positions for a standard20 collation. Of course, in order to provide room for nine hopperoutlets the drum would need to be relatively large in order to avoidhaving the outer hopper outlets too far displaced from a verticalposition.

FIG. 5 illustrates a differential drive speed system, which helps toprevent a cigarette from jamming between the parts of the mechanism.

This happens because each planet wheel is effectively rolling around thepitch diameter of the hoppers, and thus the relative motion of eachplanet to a cigarette in the hopper is momentarily zero. In addition,the planet is also rolling around the pitch diameter of the drum so thatrelative motion of the planet to the drum is also momentarily zero.

However, the cigarettes in the hoppers are spaced apart to allow forclearances such as the width of the vane material, and in a typicalcase, the effective cigarette spacing is 9 mm around the planet,resulting in the cigarettes being transferred to the drum at 9 mmspacing. Without vanes in the pockets on the drum, this amount ofclearance build up could allow the cigarettes to jam and get misaligned.

In order to prevent this happening, the planet wheel can be run at ahigher surface speed than the surface speed of the drum so that thespacings close up, for example, for ten cigarette spacings of 9 mm onthe planet (pitch length 90 mm) drum rotation should equal 10 cigarettespacings of 8 mm.=80 mm. In order to achieve this, as shown in FIG. 5,the planet carrier 86 is formed with a number (typically, three) ofaxially extending mounting shafts 88 equi-spaced around itscircumference, which are journalled in planet gears 90 running aroundthe sun gear 92. A ring gear 94, mounted externally of the planet gears,engages with the planet gears and carries a further ring gear 96, havinga larger internal diameter, and a planet driving gear 98 is driven inturn by the gear 96.

This arrangement allows the planets 100 to run at a higher surface speedthan the drum 102, thus causing the spacing of the cigarettes to closeup.

Thus in the example shown, for spacings closed from 9 mm to 8 mm, thespeed difference is 12½%.

Referring to FIG. 6, a typical drum construction is shown in which thereare 8 pockets, and it will be seen that the drum also carries assembliesof plungers 104 which operate to transfer the cigarettes from thepockets 106 of the drum, into the pockets of a conveyor (not shown)which runs between a pair of flanges 108 and 110 on the outer end of thedrum.

As will be clear from FIGS. 6 and 7, the drum pocket of the embodimentshown includes vanes 114 to properly locate the individual cigarettesreceived from the flutes of the planet wheels, but in order to ensurethat the cigarettes are properly laid down in each position, withoutjamming, it is necessary to provide a retractable support in eachpocket, which moves lower into the pocket as the drum rotates, and assuccessive layers are laid into the pocket. Accordingly, the supportmechanism 112 is driven by a retractable link mechanism 116 in such away that a pair of support arms 118 can be progressively lowered intothe pocket, as the drum rotates. As will be appreciated from aconsideration of the diagrammatic views of FIG. 1 or 4, for example, thesame effect could also be achieved by means of a circular “ramp” likeprofile extending around the drum, so as to form an inwardly spirallingsurface.

The perspective view of FIG. 9 illustrates in somewhat more detail, howplate-like guide members 120 are mounted between adjacent planet wheels.As will be clear from the drawing, the upper leading corner 122 of theguide 120 is so shaped that it helps to guide the cigarettes out of thehopper onto the flutes of the planetary wheel, as the drum rotates in acounter-clockwise direction, while the lower leading corner 124 of theguide acts to support the cigarettes as they leave the flutes of thewheel, and enter the guide vanes 114 of the pocket.

FIG. 10 illustrates in more detail, the transfer path of each row ofcigarettes from the bottom of the hopper, into the drum pocket, for anarrangement having 18 planet wheels and 8 pockets.

Starting from the righthand side of the drawing, a lifter assembly 130is radially extended to support incoming cigarettes in the pocket 132,and a pivoted guide member 134 attached to the guide plate 120 isrotated in an anti-clockwise direction, in preparation for cigarettefeed from the adjacent planet wheel 136. The next anti-clockwiseposition 138 of the planet wheel shows the guide 134 in the openposition, and cigarettes are beginning to enter the flutes of the planetwheel, from the hopper 140.

In the next counter-clockwise position the lifter assembly 142 isbeginning to retract back towards the centre of the sun wheel, ascigarettes from the flutes of the planet 144 are beginning to enter thevanes of the pocket 147, so that they will be supported in the correctalignment, in the continually increasing gap between the lifter and theplanet wheel.

The next counter-clockwise planet wheel 146 is shown in the process ofreceiving a row of cigarettes from the following hopper 148, and thus,at the next planet wheel position 150, the pocket 152, which alreadycontains a first row of cigarettes, supported by the partially retractedlifter 154, receives a second row of cigarettes from the overlyingplanet wheel. The third row is added in a similar fashion by the planetwheel 156, from the hopper 158, and thus by the time the pocket hasreached the position 160 at the lefthand side of the drawing, itcontains three rows of cigarettes, and the lifter 162 has been retractedout of engagement with the lowest row of cigarettes. At the same time,the inner guide 134 is rotated back in a clockwise direction to retainthe cigarettes in the pockets.

Referring to the cross-sectional drawing of FIG. 11, this shows themechanism in a position in which the lifter 130, pocket 132, planetwheel 136, and hopper 140 are aligned with one another, and it will beseen that the planet assembly 136 is fixed to a carrier plate 162, whichruns on a bearing assembly 164 mounted on a fixed frame 166 of themachine. The planet itself comprises a shell 168 mounted on a shaft 170,journalled in bearings 172 and 174 in the planet assembly 136, anddriven around by planet gear 176 which is engaged between a fixed ringgear 178 and a sun gear 180 on the rear periphery of the sun assemblyitself. This in turn is journalled on bearings 182, 184, on the centralshaft 186 of the machine. In the typical arrangement shown, the pitchcircles for the planet gear, the ring gear, and the sun gear are 99 mm,990 mm and 792 mm, and there are 8 pockets at a spacing of 45° and 18planets at a spacing of 20°.

This results in a carrier speed of {fraction (4/9)}ths times the sunspeed, and a planet speed of 10 times the carrier speed. When the sunwheel rotates 45°, i.e. one pocket pitch, the carrier has advanced{fraction (4/9)}th times 45°, i.e. 20° or one planet position. In thisway, the pockets are suitably aligned to receive cigarettes from thenext planet wheel, each time they have moved through 45° (see FIG. 10).

As illustrated in the drawing, suction for the flutes of the planetwheel is applied via a manifold 198 and co-operating ports 200 in theshell 168

FIG. 11 also illustrates the arrangement of the collation plunger 188having fingers 190 which are arranged to eject the collation 192 fromthe pocket, into a collation mouthpiece 194 when the pocket is full, theoperation being controlled by a fixed plunger cam 196.

What is claimed is:
 1. Apparatus for transferring rod-like articlescomprising means for supplying articles to a plurality of adjacentdelivery positions arranged in a row, rotary conveyor means includingmeans for receiving articles from said positions, the rotary conveyormeans comprising a plurality of planetary wheels each having receivingmeans defining individual article positions; an annular carrier fortranslating said wheels along a path extending adjacent said row so thatsaid receiving means receives articles from said positions; and a sunwheel having means defining grouped article positions each of which isadapted to receive articles in successive layers from said planetarywheels.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the adjacent deliverypositions are defined by a series of vanes defining rows in the outletof a hopper, and each planetary wheel is provided with at least one setof flutes defining the individual article positions, the number offlutes in the or each set corresponding to the number of rows in theoutlet of the hopper.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the sunwheel is in the form of a drum, having pockets defining the groupedarticle positions, and the planets are mounted in a carrier and aregeared to the outside of the sun wheel and to a fixed ring gear, so thatrotation of the drum causes the planets to rotate on their own axes, andalso drives the planet carrier round the drum.
 4. Apparatus according toclaim 3 in which the gearing is such that the or each set of flutes oneach planet coincides in position with said delivery positions when thearticles are to be received, and also co-operates with the pockets onthe drum, when they are to be delivered.
 5. Apparatus according to claim3 in which each pocket on the drum is sufficiently deep to accommodate aplurality of layers of articles, each layer corresponding to one set offlutes on the planets, and the arrangement is such that each pocketreceives a row of articles from one of the planet wheels, which is laiddown into the pocket as the planet wheel passes it.
 6. Apparatusaccording to claim 3 in which there is at least one set of three hopperdelivery positions, and the pockets are three layers deep, the positionand gearing of the planet wheels being such that successive layers ofarticles are transferred into each , pocket, by the planet wheels, asthey pass by each hopper delivery position.
 7. Apparatus according toclaim 1 including endless conveyor means having a path adjacent said sunwheel, said conveyor means having a series of group pockets forreceiving groups of articles, and means for transferring groups ofarticles from said grouped article positions of said sun wheel to saidgroup pockets.
 8. Apparatus according to claim 7 including a further sunwheel having grouped article positions adjacent said path, and means fortransferring groups of articles from said grouped article positions ofsaid further sun wheel to said group pockets, whereby at least some ofsaid group pockets receive groups of articles from said sun wheel and atleast some others of said group pockets receive groups from said furthersun wheel.
 9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which there is aplurality of sets of adjacent delivery positions, and the planetarywheels and grouped article positions are so arranged that successivelayers of articles received in a group article position are receivedfrom different sets.
 10. Apparatus according to claim 9 in which thesets of article delivery positions are arranged in at least two groups,and the planetary wheels and grouped article positions are so arrangedthat successive layers of articles received in a group article positionare received from sets in the same group and successive grouped articlepositions receive articles from sets in different groups.
 11. Apparatusaccording to claim 1 including means for driving said annular carrier ata speed which differs from the peripheral speed of the sun wheel,whereby the spacing between articles may be changed on delivery fromsaid planetary wheels to said grouped article positions.
 12. Apparatusaccording to claim 1 in which the article delivery positions and theindividual article positions of said planetary wheels have a firstspacing, and articles are received in said grouped article positions ata second spacing which is less than said first spacing.
 13. Apparatusaccording to claim 1 including further article position defining meanswithin said grouped article positions of said sun wheel.
 14. Apparatusas claimed in claim 13 in which said further article position definingmeans includes at least one partition extending in a radial direction ofsaid sun wheel.
 15. Apparatus according to claim 1 including meansdefining a receiving level for said grouped article positions relativeto said planetary wheels, and means for maintaining said level constantwith no or different numbers of articles in said positions. 16.Apparatus according to claim 15 in which the level maintaining meanscomprises support means for the lowermost layer received at a groupedarticle position.
 17. Apparatus according to claim 16 in which thesupport means comprises a stationary surface cooperating with saidgrouped article positions and having differing radial levels atdifferent positions relative to the axis of said sun wheel. 18.Apparatus according to claim 17 in which said surface assumes a radiallyinner position relative to said sun wheel to accommodate at least onelayer of articles in a recessed group article position on said wheel andto allow a further layer to be received on said one layer at a differentrotational position of said wheel.
 19. Apparatus according to claim 16in which the support means comprises a surface movable with said sunwheel, and means for moving said surface in a radial direction relativeto said wheel.
 20. Apparatus according to claim 19, in which saidsurface assumes a radially inner position relative to said sun wheel toaccommodate at least one layer of articles in a recessed group articleposition on said wheel and to allow a further layer to be received onsaid one layer at a different rotational position of said wheel.